ASPIRE Chronicles: November 22nd
November 15, 2023ASPIRE Chronicles: January 17th
January 17, 2024The ASPIRE Chronicles is a biweekly series bringing you the latest updates from ASPIRE Community Capital’s team as we share our impact and engagement in Charlotte’s small business community.
Check out what the ASPIRE team has been up to the last few weeks!
ASPIRE Awards First Check from Access to Capital Program to Mad Dash LLC
ASPIRE had the great pleasure of awarding our first check from our Access to Capital Program to Mad Dash LLC. We’re so proud of all that Chef Corey has accomplished at Mad Dash Kitchen in recent years. (Not to mention, the food is PHENOMENAL!) Hear more from the ASPIRE team below:
“And so it is written, ASPIRE Community Capital‘s first loan is on the books! Congratulations to Corey Jones, owner of Mad Dash Kitchen, located in the Market at 7th St, Uptown Charlotte. This milestone required all hands on deck. Salute to every member involved throughout this journey! I’m proud to be able to serve and support our community, one business at a time.”
– Wesley Head, ASPIRE’s Director of Small Business Lending
“I am pleased to announce that I have joined the Board of Directors of ASPIRE Community Capital and today had the opportunity to attend the Check Presentation to Corey Jones, MBA, the founder of Mad Dash along with fellow board members Marcus Smith, MBA, Steven Cohen, and Manuel Campbell, Natalie Williams , Wesley Head and Christopher Capel from ASPIRE. Corey is the very first recipient of a loan from ASPIRE’s Access to Capital program. It was great meeting Corey today and getting to check out the Mad Dash operation and I ordered chicken wings to go and I am looking forward to going back.”
– Michael Zeller, ASPIRE’s newest Board Member
“Honored to participate in the Check Presentation!!!! Mad Dash has great food! Michael E. Zeller it’s moments like this that inspires us to continue to push the envelope for Small Minority Businesses. Congratulations Corey, well deserved. Catch Corey at the 7th Street Market. Congratulations Manuel Campbell and ASPIRE Community Capital team Wesley Head Christopher Capel Aaliyah Young. Keep making change and having impact. Thank you to the ASPIRE Board members for working so diligently to get this accomplished!!”
– Natalie Williams, ASPIRE’s Director of Operations
Learn more about our Access to Capital Program here.
ASPIRE Board Member Cam Dyer Featured in Charlotte Business Journal
ASPIRE Board Member Cam Dyer was featured by Charlotte Business Journal in the article “How Falfurrias Capital Partners plans to use $400M Raised for Newly Created Fund” on December 7th.
Cam Dyer is a partner and chairman of Falfurrias Growth Partners’ investment committee. Dyer was among the firm’s new hires for the latest investment strategies, joining Falfurrias in 2022 as a partner and chairman of FGP’s investment committee. Prior to those roles, he spent more than 20 years at The Carlyle Group, which is among the top 10 private equity firms in the world. At that firm, he served as partner and co-head of global technology, media and telecom investing.
“Our pipeline for new investing activities is robust,” he told CBJ. “We have a number of prospects that we expect could result in new deal announcements in the new year.”
Falfurrias Capital Partners, a Charlotte-based private equity firm, has raised $400 million for its newly created fund as it expands its investment focus and employee base. The fund, Falfurrias Growth Partners I, focuses on lower middle-market companies in the software and business services sectors, including fintech, marketing, and data and analytics, among other areas.
Read the Article on Charlotte Business Journal’s website here.
ASPIRE meets CLIMB Charlotte’s Casey Burke
ASPIRE met with Casey Burke with Climb Charlotte. CLIMB is a nonprofit legal services organization created to provide pro bono business law legal services to historically under-represented entrepreneurs, and small business owners of limited means. CLIMB prioritizes services for people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, and veterans.
Learn More about CLIMB here.
ASPIRE Kicks off Quickbooks Course with Tony Proctor
This month, we kicked off the QuickBooks and bookkeeping series with subject matter expert, Tony Proctor. This series provides entrepreneurs with valuable insights and tools to help build solid systems and practices for business sustainability. Proctor & Assocs. is an accounting & bookkeeping firm providing tax preparation, accounting, and payroll services. We provide our clients with custom solutions to help them become financially literate and empowered to better manage their personal assets or business capital.
Learn More about Proctor & Associates here.
The Community Business Academy Discusses Business Marketing Strategies
ASPIRE’s Fall ’23 CBA spent our latest convening discussing marketing strategies for small businesses. The participants had the opportunity to connect with subject matter experts and ask specific questions related to their businesses and receive feedback on their current practices. The team offered insight on the following topics:
- Leveraging free resources when marketing and advertising their products/services.
- Marketing vs advertisement.
- Building a foundation for marketing in the business.
Shout out to Kendra Johnson, William Featherstone, and Keinan Johnson for their leadership and subject matter expertise!
Learn More about the Community Business Academy here.
ASPIRE and Apparo discuss small business solutions!
Recently, Apparo hosted a gathering of seven local organizations that each support small businesses in the Corridors of Opportunity to learn about the pressing needs of small businesses in Charlotte. The Corridors of Opportunity supports six underinvested areas in Charlotte including fostering thriving communities for residents and businesses. The following organizations were in attendance: The Boost Pad, Historic West End Partners, West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition, Northside Charlotte, ASPIRE Community Capital, and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte.
Learn More about the Corridors of Opportunity here.
ASPIRE joins CLT is Creative in welcoming the next CEI Cohort!
ASPIRE joins CLT is Creative in welcoming their latest CEI (Creative Entrepreneurs Initiative) Program. We are so proud to welcome the latest group of amazing creatives who will come together to form the latest cohort of our Creative Entrepreneurs Initiative. As part of that group, they will take part in more than 10 entrepreneurial training and storytelling classes designed to help them build/evolve their creative businesses. And, they’ll support each other every step of the way. ASPIRE participates in supporting the CEI each cohort by offering our training in small business ownership and by adding game simulations to their curriculum.
Learn More about the CEI program here.
ASPIRE Community Capital specializes in business training and access to capital resources that empower underestimated entrepreneurs. Our strategic wrap-around services include: Business Readiness Program, Community Business Academy, Business Accelerator Services and Access to Capital. Join us today in CHANGING THE WORLD one business at a time.